Tag Archives: Steve Garnaas-Holmes

How the Light Gets In

Posted on October 23, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

On the afternoon before the opening weekend of Living from the Heart at Bethlehem Centre on Vancouver Island, I took a walk around Westwood Lake to allow my jostled soul to settle. That morning, I’d read the poem Vessel by … Continue reading →

Posted in Creation, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged Anthem, Autumn sunrise, Esther Hizsa, Kevin Brown, Leonard Cohen, Living from the Heart, Martin LaBar, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Unfolding LIght, Vessel, Westwood Lake | Leave a comment

I Am Both

Posted on February 28, 2020 by Esther Hizsa

It’s Ash Wednesday. Tonight our priest will press her thumb into ashes and impose the truth of our mortality on my forehead. “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” Pastor Ruth will say. When I think about it, fear kicks in … Continue reading →

Posted in Lent, Poetry, Reflections | Tagged Ash Wednesday, Dust and breath, Esther Hizsa, Genesis 2:7, Genesis 3:19, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Garnaas-Holmes | 2 Comments

Compassion Leads the Way

Posted on August 23, 2019 by Esther Hizsa

This is my last post about what happened on my 8-day silent retreat in July. If you haven’t read the previous ones, I encourage you to do that before you read today’s. I stood with the Trinity looking down at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Mystical, Praying with the Imagination, Reflections, Spiritual Direction | Tagged 8 day retreat, Becker1999 (Paul and Cathy), compassion, Esther Hizsa, feeding 5000, impossible, John 3:1-24, March for Our Lives, Matthew 5:44, Richard Rohr, Rublev icon, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Trinity, Walking on water, Walter Wink | 2 Comments

Inseparable

Posted on June 7, 2019 by Esther Hizsa

Fred and I gathered on Vancouver Island with family and friends of my nephew Lee to spread his ashes. Some came just for the ceremony, some for a few days and, others, like us, stayed for the whole week to … Continue reading →

Posted in Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Dostoyevsky, Esther Hizsa, Hafiz, Richard Wagamese, Romans 8:38-39, Sacred Heart, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Garnaas-Holmes, whitetail deer. spreading ashes | 2 Comments

Shame’s Spell

Posted on October 19, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

Jesus pushes me out of uncomfortable places and pulls me into them. –Steve Garnaas-Holmes I almost said no to co-facilitating Living from the Heart next year because it makes me uncomfortable at times. I’ve told you how it tosses me … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, Mindfulness, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Bono, Esther Hizsa, Eugene Peterson, Jessie Wilcox Smith, Living from the Heart, Psalm 18:16-19, Shame, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Who do you say that I am? | 2 Comments

Portage

Posted on September 7, 2018 by Esther Hizsa

“You’re the only one here who isn’t retired,” my brother said to me. I was with two of my siblings and their spouses at my brother’s cottage in Minnesota. They were planning a trip to France next year and welcomed … Continue reading →

Posted in Aging, Poetry, Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged Aging, Canoe, Esther Hizsa, Isaiah 48:6-7, Martin Cathrae, OakleyOriginals, portage, Praying, retirement, Rocky Portage, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Stoplog Canoes, Tarah, transitions, Unfolding LIght | Leave a comment

Hidden Buckets

Posted on September 15, 2017 by Esther Hizsa

Imagine how refreshing the air would be in a community of open, caring honesty, without that hidden bucket of hurts fermenting under the kitchen sink. —Steve Garnaas-Holmes Recently I read these words and saw my hurt fermenting in a particular … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged compost bucket, Deer Park Monastery, Esther Hizsa, First Nations, forgiveness, keeping short accounts, Matthew 18:15, Name the Hurt, scem.info, spiritual direction, spiritual director Burnaby, spiritual director Vancouver, Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Unfolding LIght, walk for reconciliation | Leave a comment

Longing for More Life

Posted on May 20, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

If you’ve read my posts lately, you may have noticed that God has been gently widening my view and inviting me “to see all people as my kin, all living beings as my flesh.”* As I do this, I’ve been challenged to turn from self-interest … Continue reading →